1. THE AGE OF ABSOLUTISM IN PRUSSIA AND RUSSIA
CHAPTER 17 LESSON 3 NOTES:
THE AGE OF ABSOLUTISM IN PRUSSIA AND RUSSIA

2. PRUSSIA’S FREDERICK II

3. Junker class to build Europe’s strongest military state
Lutheran,
Hohenzollern king
Absolute rule, by
divine-right
Used landowning, noble
Junker class to build Europe’s strongest
military state
Won iron-rich region, Silesia, from Austria

4. in the War of the Austrian Succession,
Silesia
in the War of the Austrian Succession,
defeating Hapsburg Catholic, Maria Theresa;
led to Seven Years’ War by which Austria and
France were defeated by Prussia and Britain;
Prussia keeps Silesia

5. PRUSSIA’S FREDERICK II
An enlightened despot (any monarch who attempts reforms for the good of his people):
1. granted religious
freedom, except to
Jews
2. freedom of the
press
3. reduced
torture
4. called self
“the first servant of the
state.”

6. RUSSIA’S PETER I (THE GREAT)
E. Orthodox,
Romanov czar
Absolute,
divine right rule

7. westernize or modernize Russia like W. Europe: built factories
Major domestic goal: to
westernize or modernize Russia like
W. Europe:
built factories
edited 1st newspaper
modernized army [and navy]

8. taxed bearded Russians & became
known as the
“Barber King”

9. (city of St. Petersburg) on the Baltic Sea
built a “window on the west”
(city of St. Petersburg)
on the Baltic Sea

10. Major foreign policy goal: to extend trade by gaining
lessened power of the boyars (nobility)
Major foreign policy goal: to extend trade
by gaining
warm-water ports:
warred with Sweden &
the Ottoman Turks
[responsible for his only son’s death;
died saving the lives of drowning soldiers]

11. RUSSIA’S CATHERINE II (THE GREAT)
age 16 here and already engaged since age 14 to…
Peter III who became czar in 1762 and reigned for 6 months
became empress or czarina in 1762 at age 33
dies in 1796 at age 67

12. Christian from the Russian Romanov dynasty; she converted to Orthodoxy
German Lutheran who married an Orthodox
Christian from the Russian Romanov dynasty;
she converted to Orthodoxy
became empress when her husband
Czar Peter III died suddenly and mysteriously in
a mental hospital
An enlightened despot, relying on the support
from the boyars (nobility)
1. she tolerated all religions including
Judaism
2. she patronized the arts, lit., ed.
3. she attempted serf reform until peasants
revolted against her policies

13. acquire warm-water ports) 1. added 200,000 sq. miles to Russian
Same major foreign policy
goal as
Peter I (search out and
acquire warm-water ports)
1. added 200,000 sq.
miles to Russian
territory by
acquiring the
Crimean Peninsula
from the Turks &
lands along the
Baltic,
Black, &
Caspian Seas

14. Poland 3 separate times along with the Austria & Prussia,
2. she partitioned
Poland 3 separate times along with the
Austria &
Prussia,
causing Poland to disappear from a European map
She ensured that Russia became official protector of all E. Orthodox Christians living in the
Ottoman Empire
Russia’s slices
Prussia’s slices
Austria’s slices